The Only Christmas Present
by Alusy
Summary: After the rescue misson for Sasuke, Naruto, Neji, Shikamaru, Kiba, Choji and Lee finally come back on Christmas Day. But Neji might not make it. Tenten doesn't want anything for Christmas, but Neji's safety. Will she get her wish?


Okay, I've finally gotten the courage to submit a fanfiction. It was just a random idea, ONESHOT. I hope you like it.

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She arrived at the gates, waiting for everyone to come. "Kakashi-sensei?" she asked herself as she stepped forwards. "Kakashi-sensei, over here! It's Tenten!" Tenten waved her hand in the air and smiled warmly. "Merry Christmas Kakashi-sensei!"

Kakashi continued to walk. When he saw her waving to him with such happiness and hope, he couldn't help but turn away with guilt. "Ah, Merry Christmas to you too, Tenten," he responded, waving with his free hand.

Tenten regarded the orange figure lying on Kakashi's back. "Is that Naruto you're carrying?" Panic struck into her heart. "What's wrong with him? Where's everyone else? What happened to Lee? What happened to Neji?"

Kakashi was swamped with questions he wished she would let go unanswered. He released one word. "Hospital."

"The hospital?" she gasped. She ran to the place her feet took her. Rapidly moving and dodging bystanding villagers without care, thoughts flooded her mind. Her heart pounded with such force that she felt like her heart would be crushed. She reached the building and barged in. "Rock Lee and Neji Hyuuga, where are they?" She pounded her fists on the desk to further emphasize her demand. People stared at her with fright, but that was all ignored.

"Rock Lee is in room 247, but you are unable to see Neji Hyuuga," the lady responded, hoping Tenten would not crush her into dust.

"WHY?" she demanded.

"Neji Hyuuga is currently being operated on. His condition isn't stable and we cannot allow visitors until the surgery is complete," the lady lowered her voice, "and if he lives of course."

Tenten took a step back. "I-If he lives?" she repeated, realizing he might not live through this. "No!" she exclaimed furiously. "No, Neji's strong! Neji is the Hyuuga prodigy! Neji will live, dammit! Neji won't die! He can't die!" Denial rushed through Tenten, completely taking over all of her senses. "And I won't cry, because I know he's going to live!" Tears threatened to flow down her cheeks, but she refused to left them fall. Her stubborness was too powerful, especially when this was happening.

Footsteps were heard; they got louder and louder each time. "Tenten, please calm down."

Tenten pushed harder on the front desk, which was not vacant. The lady there had already run to see if Neji Hyuuga's operation was complete, and hoping it was so Tenten could leave. "I am calm," Tenten muttered through her gritted teeth. She hung her head and pushed the desk with strength that rivalled Sakura.

"This is not the calm Tenten I know." The figure seemed triumphant, which irritated her greatly. Who could be this triumphant when an important shinobi's life could be ending? "Walk with me."

Tenten slowly turned to see her green spandex-wearing teammate. "Sure," she whispered. They slowly made their way to the bench outside, where Tenten and Lee took a seat together. She squeezed her teammate's hand, trying to calm herself down. Birds flocked in the sky, three of them to be exact. They called out to the sun as they flew south. Tenten scornfully turned her gaze away from them and let out a short growl.

"Why are you unable to look at them?" he inquired without turning to look at her.

Tenten looked to the ground and kicked a few rusty pebbles. A pregnant silence occured before Tenten broke it. She slightly turned to face Lee and saw he continued to look forwards. "Because of him," she repied, knowledgable that Lee already knew who she was talking about.

Lee smirked a little and let out a soft chuckle. "Why are you unable to say _his_ name?"

Again, a same amount of silence. "Because of him," she repeated, her voice dripping with irritation as if the question had been asked a million times.

"And why are you crying?" His voice was no longer joking; it was now serious. Tenten felt a finger brush against her skin, which was no longer sun-kissed. "Your heart is crying," Lee spoke, "and your soul is yearning for him. Now go."

Tenten stood up and stared at the sky. The clouds floated in the sky like a raft in the ocean. "They clouds look like his eyes," she whispered, which was carried away by the soft wind. She quickly spun on her heels and calmly walked inside. She pushed not two, but one door open this time, trying not to cause a commotion.

"Excuse me Miss, but the doctors said you can wait outside of the recovery room." Tenten saw the same lady who was cringing before her a few moments ago. Tenten dashed through the halls, already knowing where the recovery room was, due to the incident with Rock Lee and Gaara. The benches begged her to sit down, but she bitterly refused.

"Outside the recovery room my butt," she mumbled, "I'm going in." She slowly opened the door. The loud creaking noise echoed throughout the room, but Tenten didn't care.

She always hated hospital rooms, ever since she woke up in one after her battle with Temari. The rooms were empty, with pale, white walls and and matching roof. It made the hospital seem so pure, yet it was the place where people die, desperately trying to cling to their lives.

She sat in the chair beside him. His face was paler than usual. She stroked the side of his face. _'And colder too,'_ she added. "Neji, I know you'll survive. You've survived so many things. I've admired you for so long! Your strength, and your dreamy eyes, your cold personality, and everything else about you!" She clenched her fists and held onto the white blanket as if her life depended on it. "Neji I would do anything for you to get better! I want to see you smirk when you win, and to see you wrinkle the skin above your nose when you're trying to figure something out!" All of the strength drained from her. She stood up. She choked everything she wanted to, and gotten rid of all of her anger. "Get better soon," she whispered. The only sound heard in the hospital was the dropping of tears, slamming against the ground.

Tenten didn't know where to go, so she went to the only place she really felt comfortable at: the Team Gai training grounds. She sat at the log she always sat at, and faced the setting sun. The day of Christmas was ending. "Oh Tenten, I completely forgot!" Lee's voice called from behind. "Christmas is ending, and I did not give you your present yet!"

Tenten frowned and closed her eyes. "Nothing you can give me," she sighed, "could make this a merry Christmas, Lee." Lee laughed. "It's not funny," she snapped back bitterly.

"Then I am guessing you do not want your gift?"

"Lee I already told you, no thanks. I'm flattered that you thought of me, but I don't want it," she repeated.

"Can you guess how that makes me feel? I had to recover on the way here, because Lee dragged me out of the recovery room." Tenten's ears perked up. It wasn't Lee's voice this time. No. It was another voice, a deeper, more masculine sounding voice.

Tenten swiftly turned around. "N-Neji?" she gasped.

"Yes, my name is---oof!" Neji was cut off by something colliding with him.

He felt his shirt dampen, where his arm was to be exact. He looked down to see Tenten was crying onto his arm. Tears streamed down her face and splatted onto his cream jacket. "Oh Neji I'm so glad you're okay! I was so worried about you!"

"Tenten, calm down!" Neji whispered. He stroked her head in attempt to calm her down.

"Neji, I love you!" Tenten screamed as she hugged him gently.

Neji hugged her back as her head rested on his shoulder. "I love you too, Tenten."

"Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas to you too."

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I hope you liked it. I know it's probably not very good, but it was just a random idea I had and I had to write it down. I know it's late for Christmas, but better late than never right? Well, please don't forget to review! 


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